Financial Assistance

Financial Assistance

The Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador work together to provide you with student financial assistance. With one application you will be assessed for both federal and provincial financial assistance.

Depending on your current student status, there may be other forms and supporting documents required.

Note: Please keep copies of all documents that you submit to Student Aid.

Important Information

You are encouraged to enroll in a 100% course load as this will provide maximum benefits for reducing your debt upon graduation (see website under Repayment NL Debt Reduction Grants).

Deadline to apply – 8 weeks after the first day of classes.

Online Applications are processed within 10 business days if all required forms and documentation has been received.

Appeal deadline is 8 weeks prior to the period of student end date.

How to get your loan

A Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA) will be sent to you to complete. This agreement will only have to be completed once throughout your program. Some exceptions will apply. Read this agreement carefully, complete the required sections, and bring to a designated Canada Post Outlet (see website to get a list of Postal Outlets in your area). You also need to bring the following:

Canada Post will forward the agreement to the National Student Loan Centre. Once full-time enrollment has been confirmed by your school, (no earlier than the first day of classes) eligible federal loans and grants will be deposited into your bank account in two installments: the federal is deposited first and the provincial follows within a day or two. You will receive a letter from the National Student Loans Service Centre advising you of the amount of your disbursement that has been issued to you and/or school. You can also visit the National Student Loans Service Centre website at CanLearn.ca for further information.

Appeals

Students who believe that they have unusual or extenuating circumstances that were not considered in their initial application may request a review of their student loan award by an Appeals Officer. Students who find themselves in this position should submit a written request to the Student Financial Services Division outlining their situation, and attach any supporting documentation available.

Tier 1

Eight (8)weeks prior to the end of the period of study (semester) to which financial assistance being reviewed relates. For semesters less than twelve (12) weeks, the deadline date is four (4) weeks prior to the end of the period study (semester) to which financial assistance being reviewed relates.

Tier 2 (External Appeal Board)

Six (6) weeks prior to the end of the period of study (semester) to which financial assistance being reviewed relates.

Repayment

It is time to start repaying your loan when you:

have graduated from your studies;

have transferred to part time studies;

have left school; or

are taking time off school for more than six (6) months

For the first six (6) months after you leave school, you will not have to make payments to your Canada Student Loan or your Newfoundland & Labrador Student Loan. This is called your six (6) month non-repayment period or grace period. You should be aware that during this period, interest does accumulate on your Canada Student Loan. The Newfoundland & Labrador Student Loan is interest free.

Repayment- Did you know?
If you miss a scheduled student loan payment, your credit rating could be negatively affected. Don’t wait until it’s too late- help is available. The Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) can help if you are having difficulty paying back your student loan. Call the National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC) at 1-888-815-4514 for more information. Visit Canlearn.ca to sign up for an account.

If you return to full time studies and do not apply for financial assistance, you must notify the NSLSC of your status by submitting a Confirmation of Enrollment (Schedule 2). This will allow the NSLSC to place you back into non-repayment status while in school. We suggest you visit the website Canlearn.ca and sign up for an online account. Canlearn is the source for interactive information and tools designed to help you save, plan and pay for post-secondary education.

Defaulting on Loan Payments
If you were required to begin repaying a previous student loan and were not able to make the regular payments you could be in default. If you have defaulted on your student loan you will be ineligible for the Repayment Assistance Program (RAP) or to apply for additional loans until the defaulted payments have been paid, unless you are working to rehabilitate your loan to return to studies. For more information, please contact the institution’s administering your defaulted loan, or for provincial loans the Student Loan Corporation can be reached at 1-877-520-8800 to help you identify where your loan is located.